I can't even stand to look at Franken. I never could even when he was Stuart Smally on Saturday Night Live. He gives me the creeps.

He has a rubbery, flubbery face that looks like some sort of fright mask in a costume shop. You know, those masks that have a weird plastic petroleum smell and the cold slightly slimey texture of decaying skin.

I bet he has sweaty rubbery hands too.

ICK ICK ICK.

In addition he always has this self satisfied smug jerk look on his face. All in all a destible and creepy human being.

Frankin was supported by Democrats because he is an assho*e. Liberals wanted to send an ass*ole trouble making loud mouth to oppose Bush. Ok technically he wasn't going to be in the Senate until after Bush was gone, but how were progressives supposed to know?

I occasionally posted about Franken for one of my other sites, and he was always out and about, going from bean feed to bean feed. For about a year, MNians had a chance to make him look bad by pressing him on his policies on video. Someone smart and experienced who really pressed him on policy matters could have made him look bad and forced him to either change his policies or withdraw from the race. That would have also sent a message to other candidates and undercut the MSM by showing how they don't "speak truth to power".

Instead, well, we see what happened.

For a recent compare and contrast between the smart way and the dumb way, see this.

Let's compare and contrast: Republican Tom Coburn shut down debate on Bernie Sanders Medicare for All amendment for three hours yesterday, relenting only when Sanders withdrew his amendment. Franken shut down debate for one minute today. Thus Coburn is 180 times the dick that Franken is.

The war has begun. This event is far more significant than is immediately apparent. Kinda like the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand that touched off WWI.

Yesterday Senator Coburn denied unanimous consent to bypass the requirement that all bills be read on the floor for an amendment by Senator Sanders. The amendment to the health care bill exceeded 700 pages and would take more than eight hours to be read.

Subsequently Senator Sanders withdrew the amendment and the parliamentarian ruled that the reading could end. Senator McConnell assets that that ruling was in direct conflict with 15.1 of the Senate Rules.

Senator Franken's denial of extended time for Senator Lieberman's remarks was a studied insult that escalated the war.

The rules of the Senate are such that working to the rules completely paralyzes the body. It cannot pass National Rutabaga Day or even convene if a Senator objects. This doesn't happen often because party leadership has sufficient leverage to quash the occasional maverick.

But if the leadership goes to war it's Katy bar the door. Lay uin some extra popcorn and gin. It's going to be quite a show.

The Senate is supposed to be a little more civilized than the House. That's McCain's point (a little less civility on the part of Republicans would do the Republic a lot of good IMHO, but that's what a lot of these old-line Senators are about).

In any case, Franken stopped being even a little funny when he stopped the '80s were the decade of "Me, Al Franken" and began Stuart Smalley. When he realized he wasn't good enough, smart enough, and, doggone it, people didn't like him, then he got unpleasant.

That statement, serious as it was, casts a dark light on the role of dicks in America.

Dicks have played an important role in our great nation's history, since the original dicks landed at Plymouth Rock.

Truth be told, Madam Chairblogger, there were French Jesuit Dicks here just as early as the pilgrim dicks, and there were Native American dicks here when the arrived.

And some historians say there were Viking dicks here well before the pilgrim dicks arrived, but I am not here to argue about football.

Our Founding fathers were all dicks, with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin the most important dicks. And who can forget John Hancock, a patriot whose very name symbolizes dicks in America.

I could continue, Madam Chairblogger, to provide the full litany of American dickdom, from founding, through the great wars, the great leaders, warriors, inventors and all the other dicks, but my ten minutes has nearly expired.

In conclusion, Madam Chairblogger, the extinguished gentleman from Minnesota does not begin to posses the character to be called a dick. He comes nowhere near standing on the shoulders of all the great dicks that have preceded him in these chambers and in this great nation.

Franken was in the chair. Since there were no objections from anyone else, he should have allowed Lieberman to continue for another minute or two. The chair does not normally take active part in the debate, but rather enforces the rules among those on the floor debating.

Franken is on a roll. Earlier today, I was reading about his accusing Senator Cornyn of being pro-rapist for opposing a bill to strip arbitration clauses from government contracts, in honor of a woman who wanted to sue Haliburton after allegedly being raped.

Truth be told, Madam Chairblogger, there were French Jesuit Dicks here just as early as the pilgrim dicks, and there were Native American dicks here when the arrived.

You forgot that Jamestown was first settled with English Dicks in 1607. Long before those Pilgrim Dicks, but because later there were slaves at Jamestown, they have been written out of the American history.

The Jamestown dicks landed at Cape Henry, Virginia, now part of my hometown of Virginia beach. The spot is interestingly (for this PC age) marked with a cross. It also lies (with the cross) on federal property. It is much nicer than that joke of a rock with the tiny little fake well around it

"McCain is in the wrong. If it requires unanimous consent, then it requires unanimous consent. If you don't like the rule, change the rule. There are procedures for that too."

It's not a rule, it's a long-standing tradition. McCain was not objecting to a rule, he was objecting to junior asshole Franken pissing on the traditions and customs in order to be nasty to someone he doesn't like.

Every society runs as much on customs as it does on rules. Franken, being socially crippled, does not understand the importance of traditions to maintaining a culture of civility.

You may take issue with various things McCain has done, but on this point I think you are wrong.

Sell Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin to Canada and lower the deficit

Why are you including Michigan and Wisconsin with the Clown state? Outside of Milwaukee and Detroit the first two sates are OK. Minnesota OTOH should be be given away to Canada, along with New England.

In the spirit of commentary that obsesses on "dicks" and who may or may not happen to be one, I'd like to point out how wonderful it is that Lieberman and McCain have each other to each suck the other's dick. How collegial! Apparently no one else will anymore!

What you guys can't stand is a congress with members who are intelligent enough to speak their own minds while actually enforcing even the most modest semblance of congressional discipline. Not so surprising, anymore.

Can I just point out how thoroughly entertaining it is to hear the mind that presented us with this:

I really don't think we expected cartoon caracters and evil clowns.

...immediately after it produced such a morsel as this:

I can't imagine anyone wanting to fuck Franken. He probably has clammy rubber hands and bad breath. Plus all that grease in his hair is a complete turn off.

The punching the throat, however, could be a turn on.

Quick! One of your personalities is blaming the cartoonish ideas it disapproves of on the other personality! It's no longer the typical instance of Republican hypocrisy... it's DBQ's multiple personalities declaring an all-out war of ideas with each other!

I liked Franken when he was a comedian. Now he's joined the snake pit. Becoming (became?) a snake.

I think they should have to read every bill aloud in its entirety. That would keep them from larding everything up. Politicians are generally so narrow and short-sighted. Anything to keep them from doing much work would be a plus.

I'd like to bring this up again.Per the Congressional Record, Sanders' amendment (No. 2837) is printed in the Record of Wednesday, December 2, 2009, under ``Text of Amendments.'') two solid weeks before Sanders could bring it up in the Senate. Yet Coburn did not extend Sanders the ordinary courtesy of dispensing with the reading of his amendment.

Yet Professor Althouse did not comment on Senator Coburn's lack of courtesy, while featuring Senator Franken's relatively trivial lack of courtesy. One must perforce conclude that Professor Althouse favors suppressing the historic debate of single-payer health system in the Senate.

Why don't we get Merkel's take on that one, first - before presuming to pass judgment on it? Especially since we're talking behaviors that impact the compass that determines the nation's interests and whether its leader is kicking himself in the teeth when trying to achieve them through the competent conduct of diplomacy.

I think soliciting dates in the manner you mention is annoying, but there are all different levels of "wrong". To gain the knowledge and publication that the author did might have been machiavellian. But I don't see why those ends didn't justify the means. After all, if her dates were so perceptive about gender as to obviate the purpose for a social experiment so unnecessary as to be "unethical", then they should have picked up on the fact that they were being duped in the first place.

What's next? A war against the television show Candid Camera? Was that also so socially weird as to be "wrong"? Will you file an amicus brief on behalf of the people who unsuccessfully sued the producers of Borat, Bruno and Da Ali G show?

You are confusing things by pretending that I defended Norah Vincent's set-ups for merely their own sake.

I didn't mind it, but seeing the initials eventually became tiring. And I liked the owl, but then thought it made me look like too much of a wise-ass. I'm glad you liked it, but I wanted the green in that picture to be more vibrant. Plus, I get to add in the colors blue and yellow this way. I just like the aesthetic better and think a big open eye comes across as more honest, curious and interested in true debate than does a symbol of wisdom -- no matter how fascinating owls (and how intriguing that particular owl) might be to look at.

I don't know where you got that from, John. I know I've got a habit for occasionally dispensing what comes across as too much undue snark, but I'm asking honest questions here - not rhetorically, but as meaningful analogies.

I swear I'd let you know if I were really angry.

However, I don't want to come across as condescending - especially to Freeman. But I know she's smart and appreciates a decent debate. So I hope you (and she) don't mind if I challenge her a bit on this one. I am, after all, responding to a challenge that she reinvoked from a previous debate long ago.

I think, FLS, there is a difference between being a personal jerk to someone, and using procedural rules to affect the passage of a bill. The later is done all the time, but the Senate generally at least trys to maintain the illusion of collegiality.

I am with others in wondering why Franken, having just shown up, is in charge of anything at all.

>I am with others in wondering why Franken, having just shown up, is in charge of anything at all.

Presiding over the Senate has always been one of the chores of Freshmen in the majority. Generally, the VP rarely shows up and the President pro tem is just the oldest guy in the majority, not always an important figure.

I'm really torn. On the one hand I cannot stand Franken. However, he made a politician be quiet. that's generally a pretty good move in my book. It's hard to argue with shutting a politician up. then again, I kind of like Lieberman. I don't agree with him on many things, but he seems like a decent fellow and seems to take his positions on principle rather than just power grabs.

But then again, Franken's move is likely to start a lot of political in-fighting that just may paralyze Congress into doing nothing for several. Goddammit, I kind of like that as well, but I still hate Franken.

"For those of us who have never been to Minnesota and have no plans ever to go, what should we do? "

Due to our excessive taxes and regulations, businesses and people are slowly moving away, just like happened to Michigan and Ohio, so really, there's nothing you can do to us that we haven't done to ourselves already.

Yes, there are rules, but there are also traditions. Franken is one of those guys who will sit up all night reading the rules but will never get a feel for the traditions, why they exist, or what they make institutions like the Senate work better. The word "comity" is probably one he'd have to Google.

He's also someone on whom the expression "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" is nothing more than a cooking tip. He is probably the last Democrat in Washington who doesn't realize that he will soon, again, be in the minority, and then all these snotty little power-plays will turn into precedents that will be aimed at them.

lieberman is a fool now without a party. just a useful tool of the insurance companies and his own bloated ego....

That kind of thinking is obviously why Franken pulled his weeny little stunt. He thinks people who disagree with him are bad, and bad people shouldn't be allowed an extra minute.

In Franken's mind, his own political career was an immaculate conception. No special interests helped boost him into office, no, not a one. So when he votes the party line, it's just little old Al Franken, comedian-intellectual, independently concluding that labor and the trial lawyers are just, y'know, so insightful!

Lieberman probably IS a special friend to the insurance industry. Your point? It's a big employer in Connecticut. Farm state senators tend to vote the way farmers want. Solons from Chicago and New York vote for federal aid for cities. Virtually all Democrats vote to kill school vouchers in DC. Because they hate poor black kids? One would be forgiven for thinking so, but actually it's because the teachers' unions are telling them what to do, and, unlike poor black kids, teachers' unions give them millions of dollars. Why you liberals are singling out Lieberman for doing what your poster-boys do on a daily basis escapes me. Do you see any med-malpractice reform anywhere in this health care bill? Do you understand why you don't? Then get off Lieberman's back. Or at least, stop pretending your complaints about him are based on principle.

For everyone who's supposedly this torn up over Franken's "treatment" of Lieberman, why not just invite the guy into your party? Go whole hog. Stop with the pussyfooting and admit how welcome you'd like to make such a wishy-washy, whoring pol feel - especially one who stands for nothing but meaningless "collegiality", special interests and war. He'd fit right in.

After all, those are the only things your party stands for now anyway, innit?

Watching this video, and especially McSame's quixotic chivalry in defense of that dimestore DINO, was one of the funniest things in politics I've seen in a long while. The look on McSame's face was priceless.

See? Franken's still got comedic talent. He's just making the joke about you, your party, and your pet DINO. Enjoy!

If all you're interested in is an extended commercial for the insurance industry, you shouldn't have to go to C-SPAN and have it broadcast to you from the well of the Senate. You should go elsewhere for that.

Virtually all Democrats vote to kill school vouchers in DC. Because they hate poor black kids? One would be forgiven for thinking so, but actually it's because the teachers' unions are telling them what to do, and, unlike poor black kids, teachers' unions give them millions of dollars.

It seems like people undermine their desire that their arguments be taken seriously when they mis-name the Democratic Party of the United States of America. For people who obviously pride themselves on being what they consider to be adult, this never fails to jar the flow. I'm surprised that AA puts up with it.

Tell me HT: -)What do you call Fox News? Ever called it "Faux News"? Or laughed at someone who does?-)Have you ever made remarks to the effect that Rush Limbaugh is the "head of the Republican Party"?-)How do you refer to Tea Party Activists? Ever called them "Tea-Baggers" or laughed along with someone who did?

Most importantly - whether or not you did any of those 3 of dozens of today's examples - where specifically can I find where you also denounced such name twisting on the left?

We all know how important it is for Democrats, liberals and the on the left to not appear hypocritical. . . .

You answered my question - you imagined I don't correct slanders when members of the Democratic Party of the United States of America make them against conservatives, labeled it a wrong, and basically state two wrongs make a right.

Calling Fox News Faux News is kind of juvenile, now isn't it? So no, I don't do that.

I don't really know much about the tea party activists. I'm sorry. And though you probably won't believe me, I do not know what a tea bagger is nor am I curious enough to google it. More polarizing. Pass.

Where SPECIFICALLY can I point you to? See, I post anonymously so I'd be giving that up if I told you. But I've defended Christopher Hitchens against slander to AlterNet, as just one example, and I'll stop there. My privacy is sacred, and you're just gonna have to trust me that I hate hypocrisy just as much as you say you do.

you imagined I don't correct slanders when members of the Democratic Party of the United States of America make them against conservatives, labeled it a wrong, and basically state two wrongs make a right.

Do Monty, hd et al realize - and correct me if I'm wrong - that if Lieberman is sufficiently annoyed he can deny them their 60th vote for National Socialist Hellcare?

They paid the Whore of Baton Rouge $300M or more and who knows what Ben Nelson (Horatio would be turning in his barrel of rum) set his price at; surely Sen. Smalley can afford to pay Liebe-baby a modicum of usual and customary courtesy?

Leebs, stuff these guys. Just do it. No one can touch you. And if you just vote Present till the end of roll call with a disapproving look on your face I bet you can peel off half a dozen others. Save us! You can't believe this is the right thing.